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Lack of clutch hits costly for GJ Rockies

The Grand Junction Rockies failed to hit with runners in scoring position Thursday, dropping only their second game of the Pioneer League season, 7-1 to the Ogden Raptors.

The Rockies (6-2) went 4-2 on their first road trip of the season and return home tonight to face Orem in the first of a four-game series, followed by two home games against the Raptors.

Colorado’s first-round draft pick, right-handed pitcher Jon Gray, is scheduled to make his professional debut July 10 at Suplizio Field against Billings, GJ Rockies spokesman Adam Spolane confirmed Thursday night. Gray, the third pick overall out of Oklahoma, has been throwing bullpen sessions, and will miss this weekend’s home games to attend an awards ceremony.

A leadoff double by Zach Osborne in the fourth inning Thursday, followed by a two-out double by Ryan McMahon, gave Grand Junction a 1-0 lead.

That’s all the offense the Rockies could manage against Jonathan Martinez, who got his first win of the season by scattering eight hits and working out of trouble in his six innings.

The Rockies left the bases loaded in the fifth and three times failed to score a runner in scoring position with two out. They went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Grand Junction starter Helmis Rodriguez (1-1) allowed only three runs on five hits and struck out three. He didn’t walk a batter.

Jacob Newberry struggled in the eighth, allowing four runs on five hits, retiring only one batter.

Alex Santana led off the inning with a base hit and Jacob Scavuzzo doubled. Brandon Trinkwon lined a triple to right, and Newberry then threw a wild pitch to score Trinkwon. Jesmuel Valentine lined out to center, but a base hit by Gerson Nunez and an RBI double by Austin Cowen brought Jordan Mejia out of the bullpen.

He got two fly balls to end the inning, but the Rockies went down in order in the ninth.

Ogden (5-3) took the lead with a three-run sixth inning, with Trinkwon, the Raptors’ No. 9 hitter, hitting a two-run single to right that was misplayed, allowing Trinkwon to take second. He scored on Gerson Nunez’s one-out double to right.

The bottom third of the Raptors’ lineup combined to go 6 for 9 and scored six of Ogden’s seven runs. Trinkwon drove in three runs.

Grand Junction finished with eight hits, but couldn’t string anything together and got the leadoff hitter on base only twice. The Rockies didn’t have more than two hits in any inning.